Houso

People across the UK are currently following the government’s advice by staying alert and staying safe during the pandemic. As a way to stay connected, many aspects of our daily life are now virtual. Modern technologies such as video calling have thankfully allowed many of us to stay in touch with our loved ones, colleagues and beyond. Coronavirus has affected every industry, and the housing market has been no exception. Nevertheless, there are ways around how you can show potential buyers your property even if you or they don’t feel comfortable with in-person viewing just yet. Virtual viewings have taken off during the UK’s lockdown. Due to their success, they may even become the new normal.

Virtual viewings can be produced at home with your mobile phone, and if done correctly, they are a great way to display to potential buyers and ultimately sell your home. Most modern smartphones exhibit high-quality cameras, allowing you to give home buyers a real feel for your home without having to leave their sofas! By filming a video or providing a live stream tour of your property, you will also broaden your audience. Virtual viewings allow you to sell to potential buyers from all across the globe.

Here are our 5 top tips to make your virtual tours stand out to potential buyers:

Do not rush

Potential homebuyers need to be certain when they make a purchase.  When recording, keep a very steady pace as you walk around your property.  Within each room, stand in the centre and take a very slow 360 degrees shot of each room, presenting the viewers a real feel for all rooms.  If you have anything within your home that you feel is a big selling point, take extra time when recording that area! When recording your gardens, also take time to walk around the whole area.

If you are concerned about making mistakes during your recording, it may be easier to record each room separately and then connect the clips.

Practice your video


Do not jump straight into a video call without practicing the perfect route around your home.  Pretend that you are opening the door to the viewers, what is the natural, flowing route around your home?  If you are concerned about outdoor sounds, then it is not a problem to record a video with the sound off.  But of course, this is not possible during a video call, so make sure you have told everybody who lives at your home to keep quiet!


Record at a natural height


Do not record from your hip or chest height.  Try to record from an eye-level height. This will allow viewers to feel as if they actually within your property.  Record landscape rather than portrait.  When you have recorded, rewatch the video to see if it has a natural feel.


Good lighting and video quality

Open all interior doors, curtains and blinds.  Record your video at a time when your property receives the most sunlight.  If you are offering a viewer a video call, see if you can arrange the call during the daytime, to really show off your property.  If you have any darker rooms, turn on as many lights and lamps as possible!  Double-check that your phone’s video setting is set to its highest possible quality.  Lighting and video quality are very important.  If somebody is going to make you an offer entirely based upon your video, they will need to be able to see your home clearly.

Tidiness

This is perhaps the most obvious of our 5 tips.  However, it is also the most important!  Get rid of all your clutter.  Clutter on the floor, in the garden shed, under the stairs and even within the kitchen cupboards.  Every single part of your home must be neatly organised.

It is surprising how many potential buyers request to look inside storage spaces as well as other places that you may not expect, so be prepared for all eventualities!